Attachment for railroad-signals



(No Model.)

A. H. BAKER.

ATTACHMENT FOR RAILROAD SIGNALS. I No} 248,385. Patented Oct; 1881.-

N. PETERS. Hush-Lithographer. Waxhingmn. o c

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS H. BAKER, ()F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

ATTACHMENT FOR RAILROAD-SIGNALS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 248,385, dated October 18, 1881.

Application filed December 20, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

.Beit known that I, AUGUSTUS H. BAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and StateofConnecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Railroad- Signals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a side elevation showing the attachment apparatus in connection with the signals and shifting-boxes. Fig. 2 shows a modification of the lever which may be used in one of the cases. Fig. 3 is a plan of an improved shifting-box.

The present invention relates to improvements in devices for displaying signals along railroad-tracks, and is more particularly designed as an improvement on the device or apparatus patented to me June 22, 1860; and it consists, in general, of the means used for improving and perfecting the transmission of power from the shifting-box to the signal, whereby the efficiency of the apparatus is very greatly increased, all as now will be more in detail set out and explained.

In the accompanying drawings, A denotes any suitable case or structure, located between the shifting-boxes B and the signal-cases C. The wires D connect the arms (I d of the apparatus in the shifting-boxes with the levers F in said cases A. These levers are pivoted at or near their lower ends in the cases so as to have considerable sweep.

To and upon the arm F of the lever F is fixed aweight,f, which serves to automatically operatetheleverundersomeconditions. Along said levers F are any desired number of hooks, X, or like means for the ready attachment of wires, (marked 11,) which-connect the levers to the signal-box mechanism.

It may sometimes be found desirable to use a lever without a weight in one of the casings A, as is now shown by lever Gin Fig. 2. The operation of the apparatus will, however, then be essentially the same, as the weight on the remaining lever F will be sufficient to actuate the apparatus.

In the signal-ease C the lever I is pivoted at or near its end and in a somewhat upwardlyinclined position, so as to have a considerable vertical sweep. Itsdownward motion is aided by the weight 1' on its outer end. This weight is always very much lighter than the weightf on arm F of the lever F. The attachments of the lever I by means of pitman, crank, or any suitable joint, is, with the signal-rod K are as in my patent and need not now be more fully set forth here. When this weight is in one position the danger-signal will be shown. When itisin the other position the safety-signal will be displayed. If, now, in operating this attachment, the wires D from the shifting-boxes are connected with the hooks x on the lower end of the levers F, and the wires H from the signal-cases are connected with upper hooks, w, on the said levers F, it will be evident that a largely-increased efi'cct will be obtained by so transmitting the power from the shifting-box to the signal-case. I

The shifting-box L (shown in Fig. 3) is designed to perform substantially the same office as the like box shown in my patent above referred to, but is of very much simpler structure, and may, under certain conditions, be found more desirable for use. The bar or connection m extends from thebox L to the switch, and is attached to one end of thelever N, centrally pivoted in said box. To the opposite side of this lever are attached the chains or connections 0, which extend to the arms (1 dp, projecting from the box and designed for the attachment of the wires D aforementioned.

The principal object in this attachmentis to keep the'wires taut and to act as a governor in case of any expansion or contraction of the wires.

The operation of this invention may, in a general way, be described as follows: As wire D in Fig. 1 is drawn to the shifting-box B, the heavy weightfin the attachmentis raised and the motion of the wire H to signal-case reversed, letting down the lighter weight i in the signal-case, which will then cause the signal to show danger. When the weight 1' is up the signal will show safety. For example, the wireto right-hand signal will be drawn into the shifting-box B, operating through right hand attachment, using lever F, the other side operating in same manner. \Vhen weightfin attachment is up weight '5 in signal-case is down, or vice versa. Vhen lever Gr, Fig. 2, is substituted for lever F the action on wire H is reversed, and the weight twill rise when the signal goes to danger, and fall when it goes to safety.

By this invention is atforded a very simple and efficient attachment for aiding in the operation of the signal apparatus.

Having thus described myinvention, what I consider new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a railway signal apparatus substantially as described, and in combination with the mechanisms of the shitting-box and the signal-case, a lever or levers to aid in the transmission of power, substantially as described.

2. The intermediate weighted lever or levers provided with means for connecting wires thereto, in combination with the mechanisms of the shifting-box B and signal-case C, and wires D and H, substantially as set forth.

3. The shifting-box L, having lever N, with connection 0, combined with bar m and arm d d, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a railway signal apparatus substantially as described, and in combination with the mechanisms of the shifting-box and cases A, the switch-connection m, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUSTUS HASTINGS BAKER.

NVitnesses:

LEWIS SPERRY, JOHN A. STOUGHTON. 

